Puerto Rico face a tough opening match at home to Brazil when the FIVB World League begins on May 27

Lausanne, Switzerland, March 3, 2011 - The FIVB is pleased to confirm the full schedule of the 2011 FIVB Volleyball World League, including details on each match set to take place in this year's edition.

Information on local times for matches, cities and locations are included for what is the 22nd edition of the FIVB's premier annual men's competition, which will run from May 27-July 10. Four games – Russia v Japan, Poland v USA, Puerto Rico v Brazil and France v Italy – will feature on the opening day.

The only locations and dates yet to be decided concern the three weekends when Portugal will host their rival Pool C teams. The European Volleyball League champions, who last competed in the World League in 2006, were only admitted into the tournament earlier this week in place of Egypt who were forced to pull out following political unrest in the country. Portugal will host Finland on the opening weekend before matches against Argentina and Serbia.

World League debutants Puerto Rico will face a baptism of fire with an opening Pool A fixture against defending champions Brazil, whom they will host in San Juan. USA travel to Poland on the same weekend. Pool B is likely to be a tight affair and begins with 2010 silver medallists Russia facing Japan in Ufa while Germany will travel to Varna to take on Bulgaria.

Pool D will be unique due to the fact that Cuba will play no home matches because of the scheduled redevelopment of their arena. Instead they will take on rivals Italy, France and Korea away from home twice. They begin against Korea while Italy visit France in a repeat of their meeting on the 2010 opening weekend.

The 2011 FIVB World League final round will take place in Gdansk-Sopot, Poland from July 6-10.